Looking around under a sink would reveal a curved pipe directly below the drain. Usually in the shape of a ‘U’ or ‘S’, this curved pipe is known as a trap. It plays a vital role in your plumbing. And yes, it is a necessary component.
To the average homeowner, the trap may seem like a nuisance more than anything else. Debris and hair are easily caught in the trap, causing clogs that need to be dealt with. So why not just remove it? Because the trap is there for a reason. Removing it would create additional problems no homeowner really wants to deal with.
What the Trap Does
You are probably familiar with the trap under the kitchen or bathroom sink. But plumbing traps are actually found throughout your house. Wherever there is a discharged line for sending dirty water to the sewer, you are going to find a trap.
A trap is designed in such a way as to create a seal that blocks sewer gas from seeping up into your home. It’s based on a fairly simple principle. The bend in the pipe collects a small amount of water that just sits there until you use the sink next time. That water prevents sewer gases from passing through the pipes and into your home.
Without the trap, the odors in your house could potentially be unbearable. Everything that flowed into the sewer would send gases through the pipes and up into your house. Imagine living with that stench day in and day out.
A Secondary Purpose
The trap serves a secondary purpose: it catches hair and large debris particles so that they don’t continue down the pipes where they can coagulate and get stuck. The idea is to keep clogs in an area where they are easily accessible.
The nice thing about traps is that you can get to them easily. And with today’s PVC plumbing and hand-turned fixtures, it is pretty easy to disassemble a trap to remove clogs. On the other hand, dealing with a clog 15-20 feet down the line is a lot more difficult. I would rather disassemble and clean a trap than dislodge a clog with a 20-foot plumbing snake.
Routine Maintenance for the Trap
A plumbing trap will continue performing admirably if it’s kept in good working order. Like anything else, routine maintenance his key. So, how do you maintain a trap? For that, we turn to Comfort Solutions in Utah. Comfort Solutions provides plumbing, heating, and cooling services in West Haven and Sandy, UT.
Here are their maintenance tips:
- If possible, remove and clean the trap every few months.
- Pour boiling water down the drain monthly. It will help dissolve grease and soap scum.
- Deodorize the trap with a mixture of baking soda and vinegar. Do this monthly.
Comfort Solutions says you should never pour grease, oil, or any types of fats down the drain. All that stuff belongs in the trash can. Even liquid grease can become a problem once it cools and solidifies.
Traps Can Run Dry
One last thing to note is that traps can run dry. If you are going to be away for an extended amount of time, all the water in a trap could evaporate. You can avoid the sewer gas problem by having someone check on your house and run the water a bit every few weeks.
That bent pipe under your sink is not there by accident. It’s called a trap, and it performs a vital function. Never attempt to remove it.